Mayors hail fast-tracking of aid

Mayors from the flood-devastated areas of the central North Island welcomed the fast-tracking of Government relief funding yesterday to help with the initial clean-up.

Civil Defence Minister George Hawkins announced advances of $850,000 for local councils - the first time the Government has paid immediately for emergency relief rather than reimbursing councils afterwards.


Meanwhile, the full scale of the devastation is only gradually becoming apparent, with the floodwaters yet to fully recede in some places.

More than a week after the initial storms, up to 1000 people remain homeless, others are still without power and phones, and local councils say that some roads may not be fully repaired for more than a year.

In the relief package announced yesterday, around $200,000 would be advanced to Rangitikei and Manawatu District Council would receive $150,000.

Horizons Regional Council, covering Manawatu, Wanganui and Horowhenua, would receive $100,000, Wanganui and Horowhenua would each receive $75,000, while South Taranaki would receive $50,000.

In addition, taxpayers would donate $100,000 into each of the Manawatu and Rangitikei mayoral relief funds.

Horowhenua District Mayor Tom Robinson said he had been pleased when Civil Defence Minister George Hawkins offered him $20,000, so $75,000 was "great news".


However, the biggest problem for Horowhenua was that the floodwaters had yet to recede in many places.

"It's heartbreaking for families and farmers whose properties are still under water because they don't even know what they're coming home to yet - or when they will be able to return home at all."

Manawatu District Mayor Ian McKelvie said the Government's early commitment was "very positive".

The co-ordinator of the Feilding Welfare Centre, Allan Davey, said some families were in shock.

"Their losses are such, they don't know which way to turn first."

Latest figures show that 150 houses remain uninhabitable in Rangitikei, 140 in Manawatu, 20 in Horowhenua and eight in Wanganui.

Wanganui Mayor Chas Poynter said he was "very encouraged" by the Government's quick response.

The mayor's disaster relief fund, which opened two days ago, had already received $10,785.

Initial estimates showed that fixing roads and bridges in the Wanganui District would cost in excess of $10 million, he said.

Farmers have borne the brunt of the disaster in many areas.

An aerial survey of the Hunterville high country revealed landslips on virtually every grass slope. Rangitikei District Civil Defence controller Leigh Halstead said the extent of the erosion was "astonishing".

"Topsoil is now in the gullies - or has been washed away. It looks like every hill slope to the horizon has been hit by artillery fire," he said.

Some motorists were starting to get "niggly" about the state of some roads but in fact contractors were making excellent progress and 95 per cent of the district road network was now accessible, he said.

It was likely that some of the bigger and more difficult washouts and bridges might not be fully repaired for more than a year.

Welfare One Stop Shops are operating in Tangimoana, Feilding, Foxton, Waitotara and Bulls.

Flood victims can access help from Work and Income, Civil Defence, Housing New Zealand, Inland Revenue and Victim Support at a single contact point.

About 370 households in the Manawatu and Wanganui regions were still without power last night.

Approximately 850 people are still without reliable phone connections.

More than $7 million in claims for damage to houses and land have been received so far by the Earthquake Commission.

Manager David Middleton said the agency expected many more claims as people worked their way through the initial impact and focused on residual damage.

The bulk of the $7.2 million in claims received so far was for landslip damage to houses and their contents and for flood damage to sections and accessways.

Donations have been pouring in for various flood relief appeals throughout the country.

However, police are investigating whether all people collecting money for communities affected by flooding are bona fide.

Horizons Regional Council communications co-ordinator Jacqui Ferrel suggested people donate only to registered agencies.

- NZPA